“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Right?

Wrong. Because not everyone can pursue what makes them happy. How can we call ourselves a free and fair nation when some of the people in our country don’t have the same rights as others?

This kind of discrimination was displayed from 1876-1965 when black people couldn’t marry white people. Now it has a new target. Homosexuals. In 41 states gay men and women are restricted to marry someone of the same gender. We as a nation preach about discrimination was terrible and it will never happen again, and it is even illegal for employers to discriminate when hiring employees, but it is still very much alive in the US today. And until changes are made our country will never truly be free.

So why is gay marriage illegal? Because its a sin? Okay but the first amendment of the Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...." So if church and state are suppose to be separate then isn’t this a violation of our constitution?

The Bible may say that being gay is a sin but so is lying, stealing, and killing but people who do that can still get married. My favorite verse in the Bible is John 4:8. It says “He who does not know love does not know God because God is love.” So if you are spreading ideas of hate and homophobia, then are you just as unholy as the gay people you preach about?

We need to love everyone, treat everyone the same and as my mom says “live and let live.” Including gay people.These laws in 41 states need to be abolished so we can truly be the fair and free country we claim to be.

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...The EqualRights Amendment
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any state on account of sex."
In 1923, this statement was admitted to Congress under the EqualRights
Amendment (ERA). The ERA was a proposed amendment to the United States
Constitution granting equality between men and women under the law. If the Era
was passed, it would have made unconstitutional any laws that grant one sex
different rights than the other. However, in the 1970s, the Era was not passed,
and therefore did not become law.
The idea for an equalrights amendment first became acknowledged in the
early part of the twentieth century. In 1916, Alice Paul founded the National
Women's party (NWP), a political party dedicated to establishing equalrights
for women. Traditionally, women were viewed as weaker and inferior to men. The
purpose of the ERA was to prohibit any person from acting on this belief. Alice
Paul viewed that equality under the law was the foundation essential to full
equality for women.
In November of 1922, the NWP voted to work for a federal amendment that
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What could be more important than the equality of rights for all American citizens? Women have tried without success for 80 years to be acknowledged as equals in our Constitution through an EqualRights Amendment (ERA). Currently there is nothing in the United States Constitution that guarantees a woman the same rights as a man. The only equality women have with men is the right to vote. In order to protect women’s rights on the same level as men, I am in favor of an EqualRights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution today.
There have been many determined women and organizations such as the NASWA and the NWP that have fought long and hard to gain the right to vote. Although it’s been a long battle to get this amendment approved, women today need to keep the fight alive in order to continue to win equality with men on all levels.
The EqualRights Amendment was first introduced to Congress in 1923, shortly after women in the United States were granted the right to vote. The amendment read “Men and Women shall have equalrights throughout the United States and in every place subject to its jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” This amendment was...

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Women Should Have EqualRights As Men
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Final Draft
EqualRights Between Men and Women in the United States
Michael Loiseau
Prairie View High School
Abstract
Many Americans are not aware that men and women are not guaranteed equality of the rights
under the Constitution. However, with the way American society functions today, a guaranteed
equality of rights under the Constitution may not be necessary. The question then comes up of
whether or not an EqualRights Amendment is really something that we need ratified in our
Constitution. Support of the EqualRights Amendment can be seen as a waste of time and as
something that is just being made to keep people busy because many people believe that men and
women already live equally. However, it can also be seen as action that must be taken to protect
the advancements that women have made over the years as they have attained more liberty in
society. The following questions are samples of questions that can be asked regarding the topic at
hand. Do men and women have equalrights in the United States according to the Constitution?
How can equalrights between men and women be achieved and guaranteed in today’s society?
What effects would an EqualRights Amendment have on society? Who would benefit from an ...

...Margo Cox
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In the early to mid 1800’s women played a minimal role in life. They had little education; after marriage they were to stay at home and only do housework. They could not vote, be a part of the jury, had little education, and no employment. In 1836, the first women abolitionists appeared: Sarah and Angelina Emily Grimké. Angelina wrote An Appeal to Christian Women of the South. This called upon women to overthrow this horrible system of oppression and cruelty. Very few men supported their movement.
The next movement was the Temperance Movement. This movement was the effort to prohibit the drinking of alcohol. In the 19th century; alcohol was used for everything but very few people saw drunkenness as a problem; yet, those behind the temperance movement did. “They held rallies, produced pamphlets, and brought about a decline in consumption of alcohol that would continue into the 1860s” (Bowes).
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The leading cause in the lack of women’s rights is their gender....

...economic rights and Shirley Chisholm took the act to stand up for the unspoken women with her “EqualRights for Women” speech in the House of Representatives.
Shirley Chisholm was a trademark in the late 1960's and is still known to this day for her bravery and compassion towards gaining rights for women. In the United States Congress, Chisholm was the first black woman elected. The text states, "As much a feminist as an advocate of civil rights, Chisholm claims that being a woman was more of a disadvantage in her political career than being black” (Martin and Sullivan 1). She was a very successful woman involved in many political groups including the Seventeenth Assembly District Democratic Club, New York State Assembly, Congressional Committee, and also ran for the democratic nomination for presidency. One can see this when stated, "Chisholm served fourteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was one of the most well-known women in America in her time” (Gifts of Speech 1). Although she was productive in the assembly, she became known to be politically rebellious and fearless by which she was outspoken with her own views and beliefs. This is seen in the text as, "Shirley Chisholm challenged that the conscience of the whole nation needed to be aroused to oppose racism against blacks and sexism against women” ("Chisholm Becomes First" 3). She was an activist determined to support women with...

...Women’s Rights At The Turn Of The Century
Elisha Enlow
11/24/2012
“I am woman, hear me roar,” ("Helen reddy -," ) was definitely not a term known to the American way of life at the turn of the century. Women were nothing more than shadows of their husbands and the housekeeper of the home and children. Fitting for the term “barefoot and pregnant,” as that was the common role of most women. With many battles before them there were courageous women that would not settle, but laid the foundation that paved the way for women to experience a life beyond the shadow of the husband and the walls of the family home. A woman’s place would eventually begin to evolve, but this was a long tedious process that took years of stepping out and declaring their own freedom and rights separate of that of their husbands.
During the turn of the century there were many things a woman could not legally do. They could not vote, hold public office in any state, have access to higher education and were even excluded in the professional workplace. The law had accepted and established a woman’s place was in the home, and her legal identity was that of her husband. Therefore, she could not sue, or be sued, nor could she make a legal contract or own property. She was not permitted to control her own wages or gain custody of her children in the event of a separation or divorce (Womans Rights).
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